05/12/2026

Spring Has Sprung: Now Is the Time to Manage Ticks

By Richard Kramer, Ph.D., BCE, Kramer Consulting

Ticks are one of the most important disease vectors in the DMV, and now is the best time to initiate annual tick treatments.

Perhaps many of you don't realize that ticks are responsible for more disease transmission in the United States than mosquitoes. Estimates of the number of vector-borne diseases in the US transmitted by ticks are as high as 76.51%, far outweighing the number of cases resulting from mosquito transmission. Diseases transmitted by ticks include:

• Lyme disease (the most common in our area) is transmitted by the blacklegged tick. According to the CDC, the Commonwealth reports over 1,000 cases of Lyme disease each year; the CDC estimates that the actual number may be six times higher. Speaking from my own exposure to Lyme disease, it can be a very debilitating disease, causing many diverse chronic ailments, and as suspected in my case, degenerative arthritis.
• Alpha-gal Syndrome, the newest tick-borne disease in our area, is transmitted by the Lone Star tick. A red meat allergy is triggered in sensitive individuals by the tick bite.
• Ehrlichiosis causes headaches, muscle aches, and fever, and is transmitted by the Lone Star tick. This tick can also cause tick paralysis.
• Babesiosis is an emerging infection that causes fever and anemia and is transmitted by the blacklegged tick.
• Other tick-borne diseases occurring in this area are Rocky Mountain spotted fever (American dog tick), anaplasmosis, and tularemia.

The most common ticks in our area are the black-legged tick, American dog tick, Lonestar tick, and the brown dog tick. The life cycle of ticks is more complex than that of insect vectors we frequently encounter. They have four life stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. All but the brown dog tick are three-host ticks, meaning that during their developmental cycle, the various life stages typically feed on successively larger host animals, for example, mice, raccoons, and humans, deer,  or domestic animals. In contrast, the brown dog tick remains on the same host throughout its development. The three host ticks thrive better outdoors, where they can readily find host animals for development, whereas the brown dog tick thrives indoors, usually in close association with a host dog.

Management of ticks involves multiple strategies:

Inspection: It is important to identify the tick species affecting your customer. This is helpful in selecting management strategies, but more importantly, perhaps giving your customer peace of mind to know if the tick is a vector of concern. Two of the most common surveillance methods for ticks are the tick drag (sweep) and pit fall traps baited with dry ice.

Sanitation: This involves the removal of clutter and harborage for host animals. Clutter in the yard, woodpiles, stored equipment, etc. allow host animals to thrive.  These animals in close proximity to the home provide an abundant food source for the developing ticks. A nicely manicured yard offers rare opportunities for ticks to quest for and attach to humans and domestic animals.

Personal protection:

• Wearing clothing properly can prevent ticks from successfully getting access to the body. Wear white socks pulled up over the pant legs to spot ticks and for easy removal.
• Use repellents, skin applications of DEET (no more than 20-30%) and clothing applications with products containing permethrin.
• Tick checks should be performed immediately after returning from potential tick habitats.
• Proper and timely removal of ticks within 24-48 hours will in most cases prevent transmission of diseases commonly associated with ticks.

Animal control: Removing animal hosts, e.g., mice, opossums, racoons, etc. from the property can reduce the number of ticks in the area.

Animal Treatment: Customers should have their pets on preventive tick treatments and treat their pets as needed with curative treatments.

Perimeter Treatment: Treatment of fringe areas having taller brush and/or plants is the most effective and timely method of reducing tick populations.  Try to dissuade customers from making applications to their manicured yards to eradicate ticks.  The simple reason is they aren’t there.  Treatment should focus on perimeter areas that aren’t mowed. The most effective time of year to make an application for ticks is the spring.  A second application may be warranted in the fall.

Lawn Treatment: In the past, I have discouraged treating lawns for ticks. However recent reports indicate that ticks are more frequently found in lawns than they have in past years. This may be due to increased tick populations and that new housing developments are destroying native wildlife habitats. This forces host animals into areas around homes where ticks drop off the host and lay eggs.

Thermacell Tick Control Tubes being used for tick control contain permethrin treated cotton balls that mice collect for nesting material. Immature ticks on the mice are exposed to pesticide in the nest and the larvae/nymphs die.

Interior Treatment: In my experience indoor treatments for ticks aren’t warranted except in the case of the brown dog tick that thrives in an indoor environment. Other species of ticks won’t successfully survive and reproduce indoors and can be physically removed by vacuuming.

It should be clearly conveyed to customers (perhaps in your contracts) that pest management services reduce the risk of disease, but there is no guarantee that all arthropod vectors or all disease risks have been eliminated.

Spring is here – the time to act is now!